Veganism and the

Major World Religions

The major world religions all support a plant-based diet for animal welfare, human welfare, environmental, and health reasons.

Society of Ethical and

Religious Vegetarians

Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was a Hindu who ac-cepted many of Hinduism’s core doctrines, such as karma. His life andteachings offered special insights into how to address problems of humanexistence, and he explicitly taught vegetar-ianism as a component of his general in-struction to be mindful and compassionate.

The Buddha’s first sermon, called the “FourNoble Truths,” focused on the nature of suf-fering and how to relieve suffering. BhanteHenepola Gunaratna, founder and abbot of the Bhavana Society in HighView, WV, interprets the Buddha’s first sermon as calling for a meatlessdiet: “Cultivating the thoughts of non-harm and non-injury and abstinencefrom killing any living being are so crucial for an individual’s peace, har-mony, serenity, contentment and attaining liberation from suffering thatthe Buddha included these principles in the Noble Eightfold Path”. Simi-larly, the Surangama Sutra states, “…in seeking to escape from sufferingourselves, why should we inflict it upon others? How can a bhikshu[monk] who hopes to become a deliverer of others, himself be living onthe flesh of other sentient beings?”

It is not surprising, then, that the term “sentient beings” is used repeat-edly in Buddhist writings and refers to humans and animals. Buddhistsaim to relieve the suffering of all sentient beings. The Buddha encouragedmindfulness as necessary for leading a compassionate life, and he forbadeBuddhists from engaging in occupations that involve killing animals, suchas butcher, fisher, or animal farmer.

Taoism

The Chinese religion of Taoism holds nature as sacred, andthis view also favors vegetarianism. Taoism teaches that yin and yang arethe two fundamental energies in the world, and Taoists have always“taken the accomplishments of yin [the non-violent, non-aggressive ap-proach] and rescue of creatures as their priority” (Journal of the Academyof Religion, 54: no. 1, 1987). For example, the famousTaoist Master Li Han-Kung explicitly prohibited “thosewho consume meat” from his holy mountain.

Taoism is distinctive in stressing simplicity. As early asthe 6th century BCE, the Taoist scripture called Tao TeChing warned against waste (80 TTC). The Tao Te Ching teaches that sim-plicity allows the individual to live a peaceful life and it protects naturefrom overuse and pollution. Modern studies of ecology and factory farm-ing have demonstrated that meat production today is extremely com-

Eastern Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism

Hinduism

Hinduism’s teachers and scriptures oftenexpressly encourage a vegetarian diet,

though not all Hindus are vegetarian. Hindus almostuniversally avoid beef since they consider the cow(Krishna’s favorite animal) sacred.

Mahatma Gandhi, however, took Hindu vegetarian observance one stepfurther by declaring, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progresscan be measured by the way in which its animals are treated.” Hinduism’svast scriptures contain thousands of passages recommending vegetari-anism based on the profound link between ahimsa (nonviolence) andspirituality. For example, the Yajur Veda says, “You must not use your God-given body for killing God’s creatures, whether they be human, animals,or whatever” (12.32). Similarly, Hindu law books base many directiveson the principle of the sacredness of all life. Manusmriti asserts, “Havingwell considered the origin of flesh-foods, and the cruelty of … slayingcorporeal beings, let man entirely abstain from eating flesh” (5.49).

While the violence of slaughter wrongs animals, it also harms those whoconsume animals. Causing unnecessary pain and death produces bad karma(ill-effects on oneself as a consequence of ill-treatment of others). Belief inthe sacredness of life, reincarnation, nonviolence, and the law of karma arecentral, inter-related features of the Hinduism’s “spiritual ecology.”

While Hinduism’s basis for vegetarianism is deeply spiritual, its practicalmerit has also been confirmed by science. For example, the prohibitionagainst harming or killing cows frequently benefits nutrition in India. Zebucattle, prevalent in India, require no special grain feed or pastures and thriveon organic material of no practical use to humans, such as stubble fromharvested crops, roadside grasses, and organic garbage from the village. Cat-tle contribute milk and dairy foods, labor, transportation, and dung fuel.

Jainism

Vegetarianism is expected practice among Jains, who hold that itis wrong to kill or harm any living being. Jain traditions respect

ahimsa (nonviolence), aparigraha (non-acquision), asteya (respect forother’s rights) and satya (truth). While Jainscomprise less than 1% of India’s population,they contribute more than half of all themoney donated in India to provide medical andother social assistance to India’s poor people.

Judaism forbids tsa’ar ba’alei chayim, inflicting unnecessary pain on ani-mals. For example, Exodus 23:5 requires that one relieve the burden ofan overloaded animal, and the Fourth Commandment includes the in-struction that Jews must allow livestock to rest on the Sabbath. The pa-rameters of such laws are discussed in the Talmud and codified in theShulchan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). Revered rabbis, including MosesMaimonides, wrote that we should show mercy to all living creatures.By contrast, factory farms routinely confine animals in cramped spaces;often drug and mutilate animals; and deny to ani-mals fresh air, sunlight, exercise, and any opportu-nity to satisfy their natural instincts. In response tothis, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland Rabbi DavidRosen has opined, “The current treatment of ani-mals in the livestock trade definitely renders theconsumption of meat as halachically unacceptable[not kosher].”

Other Jewish values favor vegetarianism. Judaismadvocates treating the environment respectfully,but animal agriculture squanders water, energy,land, and other resources. Judaism holds that human life is sacred, andwe should diligently care for our health. Since animal-based foods canincrease the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, weshould move towards a plant-based diet. Judaism encourages us to shareour bread with hungry people. Yet, the inefficiencies of animal agriculturewaste grains and lands that could be used for staple crops, thereby de-priving hungry people of food. In summary, although Judaism does notmandate vegetarianism, many Jewish teachings support the diet.

Christianity

Christianity, based on Judaism, prohibits cruelty to animals. Jesus’central teachings involved love, compassion, and mercy, and it is

hard to imagine Jesus looking upon contemporary factory farms andslaughterhouses and then happily consuming flesh.

Jesus often challenged people by including everyone within his circle ofcompassion. He embraced all people, regardless of their ethnicity, gender,profession, social status, or health status. Although the Bible does not

describe Jesus addressing the question of eatingmeat, many Christians throughout history have be-lieved that Christian love ultimately calls for aplant-based diet. Examples include Jesus’ first fol-lowers (the Jewish Christians), the Desert Fathers,Turtullian, Origen, St. Benedict, John Wesley, AlbertSchweitzer, Leo Tolstoy, and many others.

plicated and inefficient. The U.S. Department ofAgriculture reports that raising animals for flesh isfar less efficient in producing calories and proteinthan growing beans and grains. Burning more fossilfuel wastes natural resources and pollutes theplanet. Taoist simplicity encourages eat-ing vegetables, grains, and fruits in-stead of meat. According to theTao, the process of meat pro-duction tends to be too yang –too aggressive; it involves ex-

treme and unnecessary impact on the environment.

The Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Judaism

The Torah (Hebrew Scriptures) describes veganism as anideal. In the Garden of Eden, Adam, Eve, and all creatures

were instructed to eat plant foods (Genesis 1:29-30). The prophet Isaiahhad a utopian vision in which everyone will once again be vegetarian:“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb … the lion shall eat straw like theox … They shall not hurt or destroy in all myholy mountain” (Isaiah 11:6-9).

Genesis 1:28 relates God that gave humans“dominion” over every living thing that movesupon the earth.” However, Rabbi AbrahamIsaac Kook, first Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel,pointed out that such “dominion” does not give humans license to treatanimals according to every human whim and desire. The Torah and therabbinic oral tradition preserved in the Talmud and Midrash contain manyinstructions on how people should treat animals and the rest of creation.Because Judaism focuses on honoring God as the all-powerful, all-know-ing Creator of the universe, Judaism teaches that we should love andprotect all of creation, which belongs to God.

In Genesis 9:3, God gives humans permission to eat meat after the Flood.However, God also restricts humankind’s ex-ploitation of animals. For example, many of theJewish kosher dietary laws aim to minimize ani-mal suffering. And, this concession to humanity’sviolence and sinfulness comes with a curse – an-imals who were once friends of humanity willhenceforth “fear and dread” people (Gen. 9:2).

an act of cruelty to a beast is as badas an act of cruelty to a humanbeing” (Mishkat Al-Masabih). Muslimtheologian Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri, notingthe cruelties of Western food pro-duction, has called the flesh “sacrile-gious meat” (Animals in Islam, p. 23).

Islam also teaches that people shouldonly eat healthy foods. Numerous studies have shown that the productsof modern factory farms, high in fat and laden with hormones and an-tibiotics, harm one’s health.

A distinctive element of Islam’s mystic branch called Sufism has been itscall for compassion. The great Sufi M.R. Bawa Mahaiyaddeen appealed toMuslims to reflect on the meaning of slaughter. When describing Islamicslaughter (qurban) in his Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of Allah, he said thatthe knife-bearer should “look into the animal’s eyes, he has to watch thetears of the animal, and he has to watch the animal’s eyes until it dies –hopefully, his heart will change” (Section 182).

Mormonism

Mormons believe that God offered new revelations to JosephSmith in the 19th Century, and subsequent true prophets have

presided over Christ’s church on earth. Mormonism condemns killinganimals unnecessarily: “And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or thatwasteth flesh and hath no need” (D&C 49:21). Mormonism does not re-quire vegetarianism, but it does discourage eating animals unless neces-sary:

13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in timesof winter, or of cold, or famine (D&C 89:12).

The Baha’i Faith

The Baha’i Faith was founded by Baha’u’llah in 19th CenturyPersia. Baha’u’llah encouraged compassion for animals, and he

wrote, “Burden not an animal with more than it can bear.We, truly, haveprohibited such treatment through a most binding interdiction in theBook. Be you the embodiments of justice and fairness amidst all creation(Most Holy Book, 187). Similarly, Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’u’llah’s son, wrote, “itis not only their fellow human beings that the beloved of God must treatwith mercy and compassion, rather must they show forth the utmostloving-kindness to every living creature. For in all the physical respects,and where the animal spirit is concerned, the selfsame feelings are sharedby animal and man.”

Jesus was much more concerned about the spirit of the law rather thanthe letter of the law. He embraced theocentrism, which holds thateverything comes from and belongs to God. Like Jesus, Christians holdthe Hebrew Scriptures as sacred, and Christians can affirm, as thePsalmist said, “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over allthat he has made” (145:9). In the face of massive suffering of animalson factory farms, dwindling natural resources, and environmental degra-dation, Christian principles all point towards vegetarianism. Leadingevangelical author Tony Campolo has noted, “Being a vegetarian doeshave benefits for a hurting planet with limited resources” (How to Rescuethe Earth, p.181).

Christians have always striven to minister to poor and hungry people.However, today the inefficiency of meat eating works against that min-istry. In the United States, 66% of the grains are fed to animals beingraised for slaughter, wasting most grains’ calories and proteins. Ron Siderof Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary has observed, “It is because ofthe high level of meat consumption that the rich minority of the worlddevours such an unfair share of the world’s available food” (Rich Christiansin an Age of Hunger, pp. 43-44).

Ironically, Sider has added, these animal products are also damaging ourown health (p. 44). The New Testament obligates Christians to protecttheir health. For example, 1 Cor. 6:19 declares that our bodies are tem-ples of the Holy Spirit, and Christians regularly interpret this as a call tohealthful living. Knowing the harmful effects of animal-based foods onhuman health, Christian principles favor a plant-based diet.

Islam

The most holy Islamic writings are the Quran and the Hadith (say-ings) of Prophet Mohammad, and the latter includes, “Whoever is

kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself.” All but one of the 114chapters of the Quran begin with the phrase “Allah is merciful and com-passionate.” Muslims also consider the Hebrew Scriptures holy, andtherefore Muslims share with Jews the teachings against cruelty to ani-mals. Both the Quran and the Hadith of Prophet Mohammed provide di-etary laws that are similar to those of Judaism (Quran 2:172).

It appears impossible for a faithful Muslim to consume meat producedby the cruel methods of factory farming. Biographies of Mo-hammed have described the prophet’s love of animals andhis opposition to cruelty. The Quran states, “There is notan animal on earth, nor a flying creature flying on twowings, but they are peoples like unto you” (Surah 6,verse 38). Mohammed taught, “A good deed done to abeast is as good as doing good to a human being; while

Conclusion: The Golden Rule

Though not always practiced, the major world religionsall support vegetarianism. Indeed, vegetarianism reflectsthe nearly universal Golden Rule, which has been expressed in different ways: Christianity (and Mor-monism) – “So, whatever you wish that men would doto you, do so to them” (Matthew 7:12); Judaism – “Do

not do unto others what you would not wish to be done to yourself – thatis the entire Torah, the rest is commentary” (Babylonian Talmud); Islam –“No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which hedesires for himself”; Baha’i Faith – “Blessed is he that prefer his brother tohimself”; Taoism – “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and yourneighbor’s loss as your own loss”; Hinduism – “This is the sum of duty: donaught to others that which if done to you would cause pain”; Jainism – “Aman should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would betreated”; Buddhism – “Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.”

With factory farming abusing animals on a scale unprecedented in humanhistory and with the growing environmental crisis threatening humancivilization, the wisdom of the world’s religions to respect nature and allits inhabitants has become much more than an expression of ideal be-havior. It has become a global imperative.

This booklet was written by Prof. Gene Sager of Palomar College andrevised by the SERV Writing Committee.

Representative Books

Rynn Berry. Food for the Gods: Vegetarianism & the World’s ReligionsAndrew Linzey. Animal GospelAl-Hafiz B. A. Masri. Animals in IslamKatherine Wills Perlo. Kinship and Killing: The Animal in World ReligionsLewis G. Regenstein. Replenish the EarthRichard H. Schwartz. Judaism and Vegetarianism

Representative Web Sites

General: serv-online.orgTaoism: ivu.org/history/east/china.htmlHinduism FaithAndFood.com/Hinduism.phpJainism FaithAndFood.com/Jainism.php/Buddhism shabkar.org/Judaism jewishveg.orgChristianity ChristianVeg.orgIslam islamicconcern.com/Mormonism LDSVeg.com/ChrisFosterPhd.htmBaha'i Faith FaithandFood.com/Bahai.php